And for the First Post of the Year...

Greetings Everyone! We hope all of you had a wonderful 2010 holiday season and that the spirit of Christ was in your homes and hearts and will be for the 2011 year. The Varley family was extremely busy this last December so forgive me for not posting these pictures sooner. The pictures include the following:
Ashley's set display for the one-act play that she co-directed this winter, "Shock of His Life";

Jeremey and Ashley in Salmon's community production of, "A Christmas Carol", portraying Young Man Scooge and his beloved, Ms. Belle;

Jere's bed frame that he put many hours into for himself and Ashley;

Rowan potty training, yippee!;

Rowan's new jammies from Gma Stults; And last but certainly not least, Rowan kayak-sledding with Beary, his bear. Enjoy!

Baby #2 On the Way

We are so excited to announce that baby #2 will be joining our family in April! We announced our big news on Rowan's 2nd birthday to everyone living here in Salmon by giving Rowan a "future big brother" t-shirt and everyone caught on pretty quick.

As far as the pregnany goes, mommy is more nauseous with this one (hhhhmmmmm, maybe it will be a girl?) and a little more tired at the end of the day, but Rowan helps her pass the time and is good about having lots of snacks with her. Daddy, of course, is a HUGE help as well and is kind enough to give mommy foot rubs, aaaahhhhh!

We will keep you posted on our fun journey ahead!

Wimpey Creek ATV Date

This past weekend Jeremey decided to take me on a surprise ATV ride up Wimpey Creek and boy, was it a blast! I got to drive an ATV for the very first time and experience the breath taking views near Salmon. Jere taught me a little about the area and we both decided that we would have to visit this place again to get a closer look at the lakes below and the scenery that surrounded us.
There were several cabins we spotted while on our ride and most were abandoned or boarded up. However, some you could tell are visited by hunters often. We also came upon an old mine shaft.

The flowers in this area were to die for, the indian paintbrush with it's vibrant color and the lupin that filled the air with it's sweet aroma. Even though the lupin was everywhere, I didn't snap a picture of it but got a picture of another flower, the Lemhi Pentstimin, which is an endangered flower and only grows in Lemhi County. Pretty neat stuff! We had a lot of fun and Rowan didn't mind us being gone either because he was with GRANDMA! Yahooo!

July 2010

This summer has been very wet but the weather finally held out for us to take Rowan's first river trip ever! (outside the womb that is.) We floated from 14 mile to Shoup bridge where we stopped for lunch and then continued on our way to the salmon bridge. Rowan loved kicking his feet in the water and helping daddy row the boat. He is definitely our child and has no fear of the water.

Rowan has gone through so many changes as he quickly heads towards being two years old. He turned 22 months old today and is learning a new word every day it seems. Besides being mommy's little helper with the mowing and watering, he is a monkey and can climb up the kitchen drawers and sit on the counter with what seems like no effort at all. Also, he has figured out how to unlock the sliding glass doors. Let's just say I have to keep a good eye on this wee one and teach him right off what he can't do!

After completing Rowan's crib almost 2 yrs. ago, Jeremey has decided to make a head and base board for our bed. He went and got some nice pine from the hills and is in the process of getting everything scraped and sanded. He let me take a turn and work my upper arm muscles. Next time he will have to be the one in the pictures with Rowan.

Rainy Days with the Cousins

Rain, rain, go away, but please come back on a hotter day! Puddles have been Hunter and Rowan's form of entertainment lately, and Britton can't wait to ride his new bike where he has a paved driveway.










We were glad the rain clouds held off for a few minutes on Memorial Day so we could visit the gravesites for Mathew, Grandma and Grandpa. The boys all wanted to put their own flower at each site.

Rowan's First Hair Cut

Shame on me for being a bad blogger and not including some fun things that have happened around our neck of the woods. Rowan finally got his first hair cut after 19 months, his hair was finally long enough, and was extremely patient with the whole process and seemed to enjoy it, (the pictures seem to show otherwise though!)

Miss You Jilly Pilly!

Even though she was a stinky dingo dog, would scratch you with her nails till she got a foot rub, and was quite stubborn (always head of the pack), we will miss her not being out at the Salmon house. She had a sweet spirit, loved roughing it with Jake, and couldn't wait to go walking with the kids. It won't seem the same without her around. I'll bet she's having a doggy dog time up in doggy heaven.

I Got A Bite...A Big, Big, Bite

Jeremey's first 30 in. steelehead on his new fly rod, yippee! Rowan was taking a nap so the little cousins decided to jump in instead and have a hand in the fun.

Just Around the River Bend

Last saturday our family decided to go down river and have a picnic near the water and that was where I was able to capture some cute pictures of Rowan on the perfect tree and having fun daddy. After our picnic we went asparagus hunting, walked a few trails and skipped rocks which, of course, was Rowan's favorite part. If we didn't stop him, he would have been having his bath early that day. Overall, it was a nice family outing and I think I got enough asparagus to last us a few dinners. Yummm!

Children's Museum

By far, Rowans favorite part of the Missoula Children's Museum is the dinosaur dig station, where he can discover different bones and fossils. He also really enjoys the construction room where he can build with blocks and wear a hard hat.

Funny Story

The other day when new snow had just covered the ground, Jeremey was preparing Rowan's meal and was very pleased that Rowan seemed to be quietly entertaining himself in the next room. Soon enough however, Jeremey realized Rowan was being "too" quiet!

We don't know about the rest of you parents, but when our son is "too" quiet, it usually means that he is doing a "no, no!"Anyway, back to the story...

Jeremey didn't have to look very hard for Rowan when the back door was wide open and there was Rowan, sitting in the snow with soaked socks and a big, goofy grin on his face. Jeremey just lost it in laughter, and after dragging Rowan back inside, had to have a little discussion about opening doors!

Got to love them kids!

The Joy of Each Other

There is no doubt that we have been having a lot of fun these last few months. We have enjoyed walking around the elk foundation and touching noses with the animals, skiing up at Lost Trail, posing in our pj's, kayaking at the U of M, and riding our buckin' broco!

At the end of your life...

At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent. -- Barbara Bush